We've been working very hard on manners lately, as well as basic obedience... and the boys are doing really great.

Great recall... Sepp and Faust will both come immediately when called. I haven't had to chase anybody through the yard in weeks now.

Both will automatically sit at the door and wait for a release command. No more barreling in or out.

Faust makes awesome eye contact. He literally "watches me" like a hawk, and I've started to teach him hand signals.

I can give them each a different command at the same time by combining it w/their names, and they both listen (for instance...Faust - sit, Seppel - down).

More duration w/"stay" and "wait"... the other day I told Faust to wait for his food, and ten minutes later he was still sitting in front of his bowl, drooling and looking all disgusted - but patiently waiting for me to tell him "okay". I had forgotten all about him...

The funniest thing happens at night though... after they both get some treats, I'll say: "No more... maybe tomorrow..." - and they'll both give a HUGE sigh, go to their beds, and fall asleep. It's nice not to have a begging snout in my face for the rest of the evening.

Takes a lot of patience and work to get them where I want them to be, but it's awesome to see results.And my evil puppy is so stinkin' smart!

Kinzyl has the sitting before entering and exiting and relly good at manners (most of the time). Still working on Daddy letting her jump up and give him a hug. We will not discuss Sammy. He is a work in progess. I want to teach the tricks part. We have shake, and leave it. She is getting good at the touch command. I want to teach her to roll over or play dead or something cutesy that will break the ice sometimes when people come over.

airwalk wrote:So Christine..is it cold in NC right now? If it is, please don't leave the box with holes on your front porch for long. I'm not sure how long the fleece coat will keep Magic and Doogie warm.

I think I just get lucky, most of the time.Faust is SO food-motivated and watches me SO intently that he often runs into furniture and door frames, falls up or down the stairs, or smacks his head into various things.

I tell people all of the time to teach manners like they teach tricks. Everyone has fun tricks like "shake paw" and "play dead", etc...and they always have such a good time when they teach their dogs the tricks...but get stressed about the *REAL* stuff. Sounds like you have the right idea!

It's all tricks.

"I don't have any idea if my dogs respect me or not, but they're greedy and I have their stuff." -- Patty Ruzzo

"Dogs don't want to control people. They want to control their own lives." --John Bradshaw

airwalk wrote:So Christine..is it cold in NC right now? If it is, please don't leave the box with holes on your front porch for long. I'm not sure how long the fleece coat will keep Magic and Doogie warm.

WTG Christine! Let me know when you're ready for a spoiled senior that bowls you over when he wants to go out.

I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, tomorrow doesn't look good either.
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"You didn't know of the magical powers of the break stick? It's up there with genies and Harry Potter as far as magic levels go." SisMorphine 01/07/07